From the Inbox

Dear Maniac Mechanic,
Why do you do it? Wouldn't an old road bike be more useful in it's original state with coasting and multiple gears? I am no collection snob, but you are taking really cool original bikes for your projects what gives?
Sean in Glenn Oaks, MI

Well, I do get this type of letter often. Honestly, I do not feel guilty as the bikes that I convert in to fixed gear bikes are almost always neglected and unused. If you follow the Golden Rule and apply it to bikes. Treat bikes the way they are meant to be treated. I interpret this to mean that bike are made to be ridden. One thing I can say about my bikes is they get ridden, used and enjoyed. If you have a collectible bicycle and it is vintage and original and pristine, good for you. Enjoy it. But if it has been hanging in the corner of a dusty garage for the last 20 years, that is criminal. Like my friend, Rob Cockerham, always says, "It is better to know how much is inside, than to live in a constant state of wonder." My bikes are fun and interesting to ride and have a purity of spirit about them that gives an energized experience, as bike and rider become one. If you have not tried one, you are missing out on a totally new cycling experience, that needs to be experienced.

Amen Brother

-Eric Brandt
hot_cycling@hotmail.com
Brazen Cycleworks

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